The Beauty Deep Within Life
by maraudersgurl12
Summary: Lily Evans had always hated James Potter, but after spending some time with him over the summer, things slowly begin to change. Life changing advents bring the couple closer together. Please R&R.
1. A Desperate Wizard

Hello everyone my name is Sarah (my friends call me Sasa and that's what I'll be signing off as) and welcome to my Lily and James fanfic. I originally started this story back in 2005, but I decided on editing and rewriting a bit of it. Then, my old computer died and I lost chapters three, four and the beginning of five. So now I practically have to rewrite the entire thing. I'm almost done chapter two and hopefully I will update soon.

Anyway, onto the story.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. They belong to Ms. Rowling and no one else. Not even Warner Bros. They own the movie rights but not the characters. Jo writes the books not them. They shouldn't be so pushy about stuff because they claim to own Harry Potter. Oh please Jo has had this idea for about 17 years (wow that's a long time.) and 11 years before there even was a movie. So hah. ::stops ranting::

Enjoy :)

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**The Beauty Deep Within Life**

**Chapter One: A Desperate Wizard**

James Potter was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling in deep thought. It was late morning and he couldn't stop thinking about his life, school, his friends, and his love life.

James was a typical teenage boy. His height was slightly above average for his age and he was extremely thin. His soft hazel eyes accented his hair that was so wild it could not be tame. The only thing that was odd about him was that he was a wizard.

Now that he was seventeen, he was of age and could practice magic any time he pleased. Though he wasn't an underage wizard any longer, he still had one year of school left. James went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; the best wizard school in all of Great Britain. It was the most magical place in the world and James enjoyed it very much. The headmaster there was Albus Dumbledore, who James highly respected. James' strongest and most favorite class was Defense against the Dark Arts. James was in the Gryffindor house, known for its utmost bravery. The head of his house was a very stern woman named Minerva McGonagall. James had three extremely close friends that went to Hogwarts with him.

Sirius Black was James' best friend. His black hair had a certain style that made him look extremely good looking and he had grey eyes. Sirius' nickname was Padfoot because his Animagi form was a huge, black, bear-like dog. Sirius, like James, was a seventh year Gryffindor.

Remus Lupin was one of James' other friends. He had sandy-brown hair and brown eyes. Remus liked reading more than anything and he was the one in the group who would use his head and not make rash decisions. Remus was also in Gryffindor and he was in his seventh year too. He was a Gryffindor prefect. Remus also had a terrible secret. He got the nickname, Moony, because of it. He was a werewolf and the other three supported him through his transformations every month by becoming Animagi.

Lastly, there was Peter Pettigrew. Peter was a dumpy little fellow that had a rat like face and watery blue eyes along with his dark blonde hair. Peter was also a fellow seventh year Gryffindor. His nickname was Wormtail because he could transform into a rat.

James was also an Animagus. His Animagi form was a majestic stag and that earned him the nickname, Prongs. The four friends together were known as the Marauders and they were known around the school as the greatest pranksters.

As James lied there, he thought about the one person that was constantly on his mind; Lily Evans. Lily was the girl that James was deeply in love with. She was a seventh year Gryffindor and she was also a prefect. In his eyes, she was a perfect angel. There was one problem; Lily hated James. She saw him as a self-centered git who would do anything for attention. He hadn't given up hope yet and it seemed like he was a hopeless case. James sighed and thought, "What am I going to do to get her to like me?"

It was around noon when there was a knock on his bedroom door. The door opened to reveal his younger sister standing there. Serena Potter was called Rini for short and she was also a seventh-year Gryffindor. She was a bright little witch and she so smart that she skipped her second year. She had medium-length brown hair and sapphire eyes. "James, it's time for lunch," she said to him. He didn't answer her and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"James, did you hear me?" she asked.

James turned his attention to her and said, "Oh sorry Rini. I didn't notice you were there."

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"I was just thinking about…stuff," he said.

"Oh!" she said. "You were thinking about Lily again, weren't you?"

"Err…" he said and she rolled his eyes at him.

"Are you coming?" she asked.

"Yeah…I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Do me a favor, James. Don't give Lily a hard time this week-end. You know that she and Renee are sleeping over here. They'll be here this afternoon so don't embarrass me," said Rini.

"Yeah sure…" James said.

"Oh by the way," she said. "Sirius and Remus are downstairs waiting for you." She turned around and left the room.

_"Why does my sister have to be best friends with the girl that I love? Especially since Lily hates me,"_ he thought. James grabbed his copy of _Quidditch__ through the Ages_ and ran down stairs to meet Sirius and Remus.

James sprinted down the stairs, jumped over the last four steps and ran down the hall to meet Sirius and Remus who were in front of the door. Both Remus and Sirius were grinning broadly, Sirius more than Remus. Remus and Sirius were going to stay over the whole week-end just like Lily and Renee were going to. Remus had just a small bag, but Sirius had his entire trunk with him.

"Sirius, what's all this?" asked James.

"Mum kicked me out," said Sirius flatly.

"She what?" said James who was only half-surprised.

"She kicked me out of the house. She doesn't want to see me ever again. I don't exactly care. I'm glad to be out of there!" "

So do you have a place to stay?" James asked.

"I'm going to stay right here, mate!" "

What?!" said James, shocked.

"Yeah. I already asked your parents and they said it was alright. I'm going to stay here for the rest of the summer!"

"This is so awesome!" said James excited.

"Moony, you're going to have to come over every week-end that you can!" James said to Remus.

"I'll try James," he said while laughing. "Are you guys coming?" asked Rini who was at the end of the hallway. Sirius took one look at her and he went slightly pink. No one seemed to notice this though.

"We'll be right there," said James and the three friends went into the kitchen.

Lunch was a bit bigger then it usually was in the Potter residence. It was mainly because Sirius was there. Sirius ate more than any one James has ever known. Sirius just continued to eat extremely fast and it seemed like he wasn't taking breathes. Rini just started at him and continued to do so for five minutes until her mother said something. "Sirius, slow down," she said. "There's no rush, you know."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Potter," he said and he slowed down quite a bit. Sirius was sitting next to Rini during lunch. Just then, the doorbell rang. Rini jumped out of her chair so fast that she knocked Sirius, over and he fell on the ground.

"I'll get it!" she shouted and she ran to the door.

"Sheesh," said Sirius as he got back into his chair.

"She could be a little more careful."

"Sirius, you seem to get hurt a lot." Remus said, laughing. "Last summer, you fell off the roof!"

"That was James's fault!" he shouted. "He was the one who knocked me off the roof!"

"Relax, Padfoot," said James. He was doing his best to stifle the laughter that tried to escape him. "It was just an accident."

Sirius just went back to eating his lunch, grumbling. Not too long after, Rini came back and with her was her friend, Renee White. Renee had shoulder-length honey brown hair and blue eyes. Renee was also a seventh-year Gryffindor like all the others. Sirius and James knew that Remus fancied her even though he wouldn't admit to it. He went instantly red at the site of her. Today was no different. "Hello, Renee." Remus said nervously.

"Hi Remus," she said cheerfully, "hello James. Hey Sirius."

"Hi Ren," Sirius and James said in unison. They've known Renee since they were six and Ren was their nickname for her.

"Oh lunch," Renee said and she sat down next to Remus.

After lunch, James, Sirius, and Remus planned to go up to James' room. They were just about to head up the stairs when the doorbell rang. Rini flew past them and nearly knocked over Sirius again. She sprinted down the rest of the hall. "I'll get it!" she shouted.

She opened the door and there was Lily Evans. She gave Rini and Renee a hug each after she walked through the door. She then spotted the three boys at the end of the hallway. She gave James a look of great displeasure with her piercing green eyes. James had a terrible sadness in his eyes that Sirius and Remus could see. They gave him a concerned look. James sighed and went upstairs. Sirius and Remus followed close behind.

James walked slowly up the stairs and into his bedroom with Remus and Sirius closely behind him. Sirius closed the door slowly as James sat on his bed. James sighed and Remus and Sirius looked at each other, then at James. James had a terrible sadness in his eyes that they had never seen before. Sirius and Remus had never in their lives seen James this depressed.

"Prongs, what's the matter?" ask Sirius, sitting down next to him.

"It's hopeless…" said James in a small voice.

"What's hopeless?" Remus asked.

"He's hopeless." Sirius said.

"Besides that, Sirius."

James sighed. "Lily's never going to like me. Even as a friend. She's going to hate me forever! What am I going to do?"

Sirius gave him a look. "James I'm surprised at you! I've never seen you so hung up on a girl before. Forget about her, mate! There are plenty of fish in the sea."

"Yeah James," Remus said. "Maybe you should look for some one else."

"It's not that easy," said James. "I can't just give up on Lily and move on…because…I love her…"

Sirius looked at him, wide-eyed. "You what?!"

"You heard me…"

"James, why didn't you tell us this before?" asked Remus.

"I don't have to tell you every detail of my life you know!" James snapped, hotly.

"We could have helped you get her to like you." Sirius said.

"Yeah well it's a bit too late now."

"James, it's never too late," said Remus reassuringly

"Well what can I do then?" he asked.

"You could deflate that big head of yours for one thing," Sirius said, grinning.

"Hey! My head is no bigger then yours!" said James, defensively.

"You have a point…" Sirius said.

"Well that is the main reason why she hates you," Remus pointed out.

"I know. I know. I'm going to have to change considerably to even get her to be my friend and I don't know what I'm going to have to do to get her to go out with me." James buried his face in his hands.

"Quite a lot, I would say," said Sirius.

"Let's not worry about it right now," said Remus.

"We could always talk about other things." James picked his head up.

"Like what?" asked James and Sirius in unison.

"Well we could discuss who might become Head Boy."

"Well it's a bit obvious." James said. "Of course it'll be you, Remus."

"We don't know that," said Remus. "It could be anyone."

"Yeah but," said Sirius, "you're already a Prefect."

"So? James is brighter than me and he has calmed down a bit recently. Maybe Dumbledore will give him a chance to prove himself. Anyway, it is obvious who is going to be Head Girl though."

"Definitely Lily," said Sirius. James at once had a saddened expression.

"Oh cheer up mate."

James was still acting pretty glum, but he did have a slight idea. "Alright…but I wish there was a way to impress her somehow and give her a reason to know that I'm not completely self-centered and stupid."

Sirius snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

"What's it?" asked Remus who was mildly curious.

"All James has to do is become Head Boy!"

"It's not very likely." Remus said with a skeptical look.

"But it's possible and Lily will be really amazed." Sirius said.

"It's not up to me, though. It's up to Dumbledore…" sighed James. "

It's still worth hoping for," said Sirius.

"Yeah I guess so…"

"Well I guess all we can do now is to wait for our letters to arrive," Remus said. Sirius got up.

"Let's go back down stairs and see what the girls are up to." Remus opened the door.

"Are you coming, James?"

"Yeah I'll be down in a minute."

Sirius and Remus went out of the room and down stairs. James got off his bed a minute later. As he went through the door he though, "Maybe there's still hope." Then he went down stairs to join Sirius and Remus.

When James got downstairs, he saw something that he totally didn't expect to see. Lily was chasing Sirius around the living room. She looked completely furious. The most interesting thing was that Lily's hair was hot pink instead of her usual dark red. It seemed that Sirius was the one who changed Lily's hair color. Turing one's hair hot pink was Sirius's trademark prank.

Her hair seemed pretty ridiculous. Remus was already rolling with laughter on the floor. James was trying very hard not to laugh, but he could help it. He burst out in a loud fit of laughter. Lily stopped and faced him.

"Potter!" she said angrily. "I suppose you think this is all funny, don't you?"

"Err…I…that is…" he said stupidly.

"You two are insensitive little gits!" she screamed as she stormed off.

"Lily wait!" said James as he ran after her.

Lily spun around. "What do you want Potter?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I guess it wasn't funny to you. I tried hard not to laugh, but I couldn't exactly help it."

"It wasn't that funny." "

I know and I'm sorry. I can change your hair back to its normal lovely color in no time. I know how to reverse Sirius's prank easily."

"Fine," she huffed. With that, James reversed the spell. She was caught off guard by his apology, but she still kept the same attitude toward him. The three girls then went upstairs, leaving James standing there on the spot.

The girls went into Rini's room. Renee shut the door behind them. Rini sat on her bed and said, "You shouldn't be so hard on James." It was obvious that she was talking to Lily.

"You brother is a git," she said trying to make a point.

"He's not like that all the time." Rini said.

"You don't even know him too well."

"Well maybe I don't want to know him better."

"Oh Lily," said Renee. "Just give him a chance."

Lily was starting to get irritated. "I will never like Potter. Not in a million years!" As she said this, James walked past Rini's room. He had overheard what Lily had said. Then he stopped in his tracks and continued to listen.

"Lily, at least give him a chance to be your friend," said Renee.

"No. I don't want to have to deal with his childish antics."

"But Lily-" Rini said. She was cut short by Lily.

"No buts! I'm not going to deal with him and that's final!" Lily got up and opened the door. Once she had opened the door, she ran into James who was in front of her.

"YOU!"

"Uhh……"

"What are you doing here?"

"I…uhh…I was just passing by…."

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

"Uhh…no…"

"I can't believe you! You are such a GIT!!" she screamed as she pushed James aside. She walked down the hall and down the stairs in a huff. James just stared at her blankly as what happened slowly registered in his brain.

"What are you doing here anyway, James?" asked Rini.

"I was just passing by and I overheard what Lily was saying about me."

"So you were telling the truth," said Renee.

"Of course I was!" exclaimed James.

Rini said, "Well it's obvious that Lily didn't think so…"

"Yeah…" he sighed. The same terrible sadness seemed to creep into his eyes once more.

His sister stood up to face him. "Don't worry about it, James."

"Yeah…alright…" he said sadly.

He turned and walked down stairs. Once he had reached the bottom landing, he noticed that Sirius was on the floor and he looked like a complete mess.

"What happened to you?" James asked.

"Lily…" replied Sirius. "She's on the rampage."

"Oh…" said James, trailing off. "I'll be in the garden if any one needs me." He then left.

Just then, there were two barn owls tapping on one of the living room windows. Remus opened the window two let them in. With them, was six envelopes stamped with the Hogwarts Crest.

"Looks like our Hogwarts letters are here," said Sirius.

"Yeah…and there's one for everyone here," commented Remus. They both took their letters and anticipated opening them.

"Three…Two…One…Open!" Remus and Sirius said together. They both opened and read their letters.

After Sirius asked, "Moony, did you get it?" Remus shook his head.

"No, I didn't Padfoot. I wonder who did then…" He paused. "You don't think?"

"Naw…Couldn't be, could it?"

"It's possible. Maybe we should go get him so he can open his letter."

"Or we could open his letter ourselves." Sirius said with a mischievous grin.

"We can't just open his letter!"

"Oh yeah? Just watch." Sirius took the envelope and tore it open.

"He's going to kill you after this, you know. Let's make one thing clear. I had nothing to do with opening it."

"Sure. He won't be mad at us if he gets it anyway." Sirius said as Remus peered over his shoulder and they both read the letter.

_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_I am pleased to inform you that I have selected you for the position of Head Boy. I am giving you this opportunity to prove your responsibility and integrity to the rest of the school. You have already proven this to me, so I expect you will rise to the occasion. Enclosed are your badge and a few bits of information that you'll need to know before boarding the Hogwarts Express. Please come and see my after the Welcoming Feast on September 1st. I will be looking forward to seeing you. __Sincerely, _

_Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster._

They just stared at one another in silence for about a minute until Remus spoke. "I don't believe it…"

Sirius grinned broadly. "Well it looks like he can use this to impress Lily. He did it…he actually did it!"

"I guess we better go give everyone else their letters," said Remus.

"Alright." Sirius was still grinning.

They both walked up the stairs. It was more like they sprinted up the steps in great excitement. They reached the top landing and turned to the right end of the hall. Following this path, the easily ended up in front of the door to Rini's bedroom. Sirius plastered on a charming smile and rapped on the door.

"You may come in," came Rini's voice, "The door is open."

Sirius opened the door to find Renee and Rini on the floor playing Exploding Snap. Their laughter was infectious as Renee caused the deck to snap like a firecracker in a heap of smoke. Sirius grinned stupidly at Rini for she captured his attention. The girl's fun made him swell up with similar joy.

Rini looked up at Sirius and Remus in the doorway.

"Hey Sirius. What's up?"

"Hogwarts letters." He said simply as he tossed each letter to its owner.

"Oh cool." Rini said as she caught hers.

"C'mon Rini open yours!" said Renee excitedly. "I want to see if either of us has made Head Girl!"

"What's the rush?" asked Rini. "It's obvious that it's Lily."

"Let's just open them anyway."

"Fine…"

They both opened each of theirs in a hasty pace. Renee ripped through hers quickly; she then speed through with its reading. After going through hers, she looked at the piece of parchment disappointedly for a second and then shook off the expression.

Looking over at Rini she asked, "Well?"

Rini shook her head. "Me neither…that must mean that Lily got it!"

"Where is Lily anyway?" asked Remus.

"Yeah we have her letter," added Sirius.

"She's on the roof," Rini stated simply.

"On the roof?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yeah…she wanted to be left alone. I wouldn't go up there if I were you," suggested Rini.

"I wonder who made Head Boy," Rini said. "Was it you Remus?"

"No." he replied. "It was James."

"What?!" Renee and Rini said in unison. Both were shocked at this.

"You can't be serious." Renee said.

"Yeah I know my brother may be wicked smart and all, but it would never happen in a million years."

"Well he did." Sirius said and he smirked mischievously. "We're gonna have so much fun with this."

Just then, James came up behind Sirius and Remus. "There you two are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"I thought you were in the garden." Remus stated.

"I was. I came in because it was getting dark out."

Rini sprung up and hugged James which took him by surprise.

"Congratulations! I'm so proud of you!"

"Huh?"

"Oh don't play dumb. We all know about it!"

"Know about what?"

"Don't tell me that you don't know."

"Rini, I have no idea of what you are talking about."

"That must mean…Sirius!"

"What?" he said giving her an innocent look.

"Don't act innocent. Did you open James' Hogwarts letter?"

"And what if I did…?"

"That's an invasion of personal privacy! He should be the first to know that he's been made Head Boy! Now look at him! He's completely clueless!"

"I made Head Boy?!" asked James, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, Prongs." Remus said.

"See I told you it would happen," Sirius said grinning.

"When did you say that?" asked James, raising an eyebrow.

"A couple of hours ago - oh never mind! I guess I better go give Lily her letter now…"

"Where is she? James asked at once.

"How many times do I have to tell this?" said Rini while heaving a sigh. "She's up on the roof, and she doesn't want to be disturbed."

"I'll give it to her Sirius," offered James.

"Are you sure…?" Sirius asked cautiously.

"Yeah I'm sure. I don't want you to fall off the roof again." He replied, smirking.

"That was your fault!" Sirius punched he arm playfully. He then sighed and gave him the envelope. "Anyway, go ahead if you want to. It's your funeral."

James took the letter from Sirius's hands. "Thank you and I expect you to wear black."

He set off to go deliver the letter to Lily…and maybe make a good impression on her.

James walked down the hall and up the stairs that led to the attic. Once he was in the attic, he walked to the very end and went through the already open window that led to the flat part of the roof. He climbed up to the top of the roof, letter in hand, and he searched for Lily. He heard a soft crying coming from the other end; it was then that he saw her. Lily was sitting there crying, and he had no idea why.

"Lily?" he asked cautiously.

She turned her head and saw him standing there. "Go away," she said.

"Lily, what's wrong?" he pleaded.

"I told you. Go away!" she shouted through tears.

James sat down next to her. He gave her a concerned look. He wanted to help her. "Lily, you can tell me what's wrong. I'll listen."

"Leave me alone…"

"Lily please, I'm here for you."

She sighed. "It's just that everyone hates me…"

"That's not true and you know it. You've got friends. Renee and Rini don't hate you."

"But they're my only friends. A lot of people pick on me."

"Who could ever pick on a sweet girl like you?"

Lily seemed to forget that it was James she was talking to. Before she knew it, she was pouring her heart out to him. "The Slytherins…they treat me horribly and I don't even do anything to them. The majority of the rest think that I'm a bit annoying. They think that I'm a know-it-all. A bunch of people treat me very badly just because…because…I'm a Muggle-born!" she sobbed.

"Lily…It's alright…don't worry about what other people think about you. It doesn't matter. They don't even really know you. And they're probably jealous of you. Think about it. You're the smartest, prettiest, and probably most popular girl in the school!"

"You're just saying that…"

"No I'm not. Would I lie to you?"

"Yes."

"No I wouldn't. Now don't worry about it. Look if anyone bothers you and I mean really bother you. Just tell me and I will take care of them."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Also, Renee and Rini are pressuring me so much and it's starting to bother me."

"I see…It's about giving me a chance, isn't it?"

"Huh? Oh…ummm…" She was slightly embarrassed. She didn't want to be mean to him.

"It wouldn't hurt to just give me a chance, Lily. I'm not a bad guy honestly. If you got to know me better, then I bet we could become friends."

"I guess…"

"Forget about it for now. I've got something that might cheer you up."

"And what would that be…?"

"Your Hogwarts letter," He said, giving it to her. "Go ahead and open it."

She opened it and started reading. About two minutes later Lily was really excited. "I've been made Head Girl!" she exclaimed.

"That's great," said James who had a stupid grin plastered on his face.

"I wonder who made Head Boy…Is it Remus?"

James shook his head. "No…"

"Then I wonder who it could be…"

_"__Here's my chance," _James thought. _"__Just don't act cocky." _He told himself.

Lily was pondering it when James said, "It's me."

"What?!" She looked completely shocked.

"I've been made Head Boy."

Lily was really taken aback by this new set of information. "Well congratulations…I guess…umm…it'll be…err…nice working with you…" she said, trying so hard to be nice.

"Thanks…" James said.

There was an awkward moment of silence where neither of them dared to speak. Eventually, Lily got up and said, "I'm going to go back inside…"

"Alright."

As she turned around, Lily somehow managed to lose her balance. Almost falling off, she managed to grab onto the edge of the roof. She had a slight grip on the edge; however, she could fall at any moment.

"Lily!" James shouted, fear filling his entire body.

Her fingers were beginning to slip as she cried for help. James quickly rushed to her aid. No longer able to hold on, Lily's hand finally slipped and she began to fall to her impending doom. Her high-pitched shriek filled the air as James dove. Luckily, James was able to grab her hand just as she began falling. Quickly, he got a firm grip on her arm and began to pull her back up.

"Don't worry. I've got you," he said as he strained himself continuing to bring her to safety. Her shrieks still ringed in his head; it had scared him so much that she had been so close to getting hurt. She was taking deep breaths when she was sitting safely on the roof again. "Are you alright?" James asked, relief overcoming him.

"I'm fine." She snapped. "I didn't need your help," she said getting up.

Determined to get as far away as she possibly could from James, Lily carefully made her way to the opposite end of the roof. Once coming up to the window, she glanced in his direction one final time. With a softened expression etched on her face she let a guilty sigh.

"Thank you," she muttered in an inaudible whisper.

After saying this, she continued her journey by going through the window. Once out of the attic, she headed downstairs. The young witch was in very deep thought. Suddenly, she couldn't stop thinking about James. She just couldn't seem to get him out of her mind for some reason.

As she reached the bottom landing, she let out a sigh in frustration. Turning the corner, she continued the rest of her journey to the living room in silence. She entered the room, and without any thoughts other than of James, she seated herself on the couch.

_"Why can't I just get Potter out of my head?!" _she thought. _"He wasn't acting like the Potter I know. He was being kind and considerate. He was being so caring too! __What am I thinking?!?! He's an annoying self-centered git!!! Yet…is that who he really is…? I better not start getting feelings for that __prat__ or I'll die…well not literally…but still!"_

As she kept thinking about him, her face started to feel hot.

_"I can't believe he was made Head Boy! He must be smarter than I thought..."_

She sighed and continued to think. She just sat there for a couple of hours. After a long time, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. She turned her head and saw Remus behind her.

He observed her and asked, "What are you doing up so late?"

"I've just been thinking…" she trailed off.

"About what?"

"Stuff…" She looked away.

"Like what kind of stuff?" Remus asked giving her a look.

"It's nothing."

"If it's merely nothing, then you can tell me now." He replied flatly.

_"I can't tell him the truth,"_ Lily thought. _"I guess I'll just have to lie…but what should I say…?"_

"Well?" Remus said.

"I was thinking about James." Lily blurted out. She did not mean to do that and she covered her mouth after she realized what she said.

Remus grinned. "You were thinking about James?"

Lily started to go red. "So what if I was…I was just thinking about the fact that he made Head Boy. I was surprised and I was wondering what it'll be like to work with him this year…"

"That must mean you made Head Girl!"

"Yeah…I did…"

"That's great. Congratulations!" Remus said excitedly.

"Thanks…there were a few other things too…"

"Like what?"

"Well I was a bit upset when James came up there and found me. I was crying…a lot…but he was very understanding, and he tried to comfort me. He was being wicked kind and caring. I never saw him like that before. He also told me that if anyone bothered me that I should go talk to him."

"I think you saw a bit of what James is really like."

"What?"

"Yeah…He's a lot different once you get to know him. Let's just say that he isn't very good at first impressions…"

"Oh…" She sighed and continued. "I feel kind of badly about the way I acted toward him right before I came down."

"What happened?" asked Remus.

"Well when I turned to leave, I sort of slipped and I almost fell off the roof…" she said, remembering the time where that happened to Sirius. These thoughts caused her complexion to turn pink.

"You almost fell off the roof?!" asked Remus, trying extremely hard not to laugh.

"Oh shut up." Lil smacked him off the back of his head. His laughter still fill the room and she gave him a warning glace.

"Ok sorry." He said, rubbing his head. "Go ahead and continue now."

"So um yeah…I was barely hanging onto the edge and James pulled me up. I was kind of rude after and I didn't even say thank you. I feel so badly about it now…"

Well if you feel badly about it, then you should apologize." Remus stated.

"I guess…"

"Lily," Remus said looking her in the eye. "You really should give James a chance to be your friend. Just give him that much."

"I don't know…I'll think about it…I'm going to go to bed now…" she said while getting up.

"Alright…it is getting pretty late…"

"Yeah…good night…"

"Good night, Lily."

Lily walked up the stairs and went up to the second landing. She then turned to the left and went to the very end of the hall where her room was. She went inside the room slowly. She then brushed her teeth and got dressed into her nightgown. She flopped down on her bed and drifted into a very restless sleep.

Thoughts of James drifted in and out of her mind as Lily slept. She couldn't shake him from her mind that night. She kept tossing and turning in her bed. Even when she did fall asleep for a while, her dreams surrounded him. She was starting to get a nasty headache from the lack of sleep and poor Lily was starting to feel sick. This was the worst night of sleep she had ever had in her entire life and it was because she couldn't get James Potter, the person that she is absolutely hated, out of her mind.

The sun rose soon after Lily had given up on ever sleeping, and she was as tired as ever. The golden rays of light started to creep in through the window as she lied there, completely exhausted. She decided on not getting up for most of the day because she wasn't feeling well also. There was a knock on her door at around seven that morning.

"Who is it?" Lily asked groggily, her eyes half open. Her head was throbbing madly and her eyes were focusing in and out.

"It's me, Rini. Can I come in?"

"Sure…" said Lily lazily and she sat upright on the bed.

Rini came in, looking cheerful. She took one look at Lily and frowned. "Lily you look horrible. What happened?"

"I barely got any sleep," she said shortly, trying to move away from the subject. "So what did you want?"

"Since when do you get no sleep?" Rini asked. She knew Lily was trying to hide the fact that something major was up. "You normally sleep like a log."

"I just had a lot on my mind, that's all." Lily snapped.

"Like what?" Rini asked eagerly.

"I don't feel like telling you. It's extremely personal."

"Oh come off it, Lils. You can tell me anything. We made a pack in our third year, remember?"

Lily remembered. She has made a pack with Renee and Rini that each person would tell the other two girls everything, no matter how important. There were a few exceptions of course.

"Oh fine. I'll tell you and Renee later, when I'm feeling better. What did you want, anyway?" She was starting to get aggravated.

"I came to tell you that breakfast was ready."

"Oh," said Lily.

Rini gave her a sympathetic look. "Look. Since today you're not feeling well, we'll give you the royal treatment. Today, you are now Princess Lily."

Lily gave a feeble smile. "Thanks Rini."

Rini turned to walk out. "It's no problem. I'll have someone bring up your breakfast in about five minutes."

She walked out of the room and closed the door. She then saw Sirius coming up the stairs in the middle of the hall. He looked completely rested and energetic, the absolute opposite of Lily.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning Sirius," she said casually.

"Is Lily coming down for breakfast?"

"No…she's not feeling well right now." Rini said softly.

"How come?"

"She couldn't sleep and when I asked her why, she said that it was a personal matter She wouldn't tell me right there. She said that she might tell Renee and me what was on her mind later on."

Rini started to ponder about what Lily could be bothered by when Sirius said something that increased her interest."

"We could always talk to Remus about it. He talked to Lily last night and she told him what was on her mind. He did hint that it may have to do with James…"

"Well if that's it, then she should come out and tell me." Rini said in a huff. "She can't seem to swallow her pride and just give him a chance."

"Well if that's the case, then they may just need a little push to get them to come together." Sirius said. There was a bit of mischief in his tone and he had that glint in his eye that said that he was up to something.

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking into his grey eyes. She knew that he has something in mind.

"What I mean is, we should try to get them together somehow. Not obviously, of course. We could plan it out this afternoon, if you like. Just the two of us." He said, grinning. He was trying to accomplish something else besides getting Lily and James together by doing this. Of course at the time, he didn't realize what he was doing subconsciously.

"Alright." Rini said as she got a brilliant idea. "Sirius, where's James?"

"He's downstairs in the kitchen. Why do you ask…?" But he never got an answer because at the second that he told her where James was, she bolted down the stairs.

Rini ran down the stairs, skipping every other step as she lfew down the staircase, She slid down the banister with seven steps left. She hopped off and ran down the hall and into the kitchen.

"James!!" she called.

"What?" he asked, taking his head out of the refrigerator. His hair was even messier than usual. He looked like he didn't get much sleep either. His eyes were drooping and there were dark bags under his eyes.

"I've got a job for you!!" Rini said. She was smiling so brightly that James had no clue of what he was in for.

"What _did_ I get myself into?" James asked himself as he walked up the stairs. He was carrying an elegant silver tray with Lily's breakfast on it. Rini had asked him to bring it up to Lily's room. It was more like Rini forced him to do this as an attempt to get them closer together. James had a feeling that he knew what she was up to and he didn't think it would work. He has given up almost all of his hope of winning Lily's protected heart.

James ascended the stairs slowly mainly because of his fatigue. He didn't receive much sleep either. He also had a very important person on his mind. This individual was, with no doubt, Lily. He loved her so much, but he couldn't seem to make her seem that he was a great guy. He was willing to go the extra mile just to make her see this with her exquisite, intense green eyes.

James reached the second landing and turned to the left. He walked down the hall painfully slow in his mind. It seemed like he would never get to the door of Lily's room. That walk down the hall to her room seemed to take an eternity. Then he finally reached the door.

He took a deep breath, plastered on a big smile. Next, he knocked on the door. "Lily?"

"Come in." she called from inside her room.

James took another deep breath and opened the door slowly. He tried to be cheerful in order to hide the fact that he was exhausted. Of course his appearance was against him in this case. "Good morning, Sunshine!"

Lily just stared blankly at him. She seemed frozen by the sight of him. She couldn't seem to talk, move or do anything at the time!

_"Oh my God, Oh my God!__ Why did he have to bring up my breakfast?! I bet Rini had something to do with this. When I get my hands on her…I can't face him this soon…and just look at me! I'm a complete mess. I don't look good at all! He probably thinks that I look completely horrendous. Well, he doesn't look that great either…he still looks pretty hot though…OH MY GOSH!!! Did I just think that Potter is hot?!?! What the bloody hell is wrong with me?!?!__?!" _she thought.

Her thoughts were swirling through her head and they were starting to give her a headache.

"Lily? Are you alright?"

Lily snapped out of it fairly quickly when she heard his voice. "Oh yeah…I'm fine."

"Good," he said while handing her the tray. "Here's your breakfast, Princess Lily. You're only princess for the day, but if you like, I can treat you like a princess for the rest of your stay here. You're already a princess in my eye, you know."

"Err…thanks…" she said, taking the tray from him. "You don't have to do that you know…"

"Oh but I want to." James smiled and looked at her earnestly.

"I guess you could, if you want to…"

"Oh anything for the most beautiful girl in the world," he said, giving her a wink and the famous Potter charm.

"She blushed slightly. "Oh you're just saying that…I'm not that pretty."

"Yes you are. You look very lovely today!"

"Are you kidding me? I look horrible! I look like such a mess!"

"But to me, you're still the most beautiful person in the world which is rue in any case; I'm sure that a lot of guys would agree with me."

"Ok mister! You can stop it with the act, you know! I know you're just giving me this act so I'll like you! It's not working you know." Her old feelings were pushing the new ones back into the shadows. James was taken aback from her sudden outburst. This change in conversation caused him great confusion and his expression reflected those feelings.

James then started grinning stupidly at her. This was oddly amusing him that she was getting angry for no apparent reason.

"Would you stop smiling at me like that?" she huffed.

"I'm sorry Lils. You look kind of out of it. No sleep?"

"Uhhh…yeah…how'd you know?"

"I didn't get much sleep myself. Look at how awful I look this morning." He said, trying to make conversation. His words turned out to be truth.

"Oh that's not true, James." She said. James smiled at her even more. That was the first time she had ever used his first name. She had actually called him James.

Lily shut her mouth so she wouldn't say any more. Although she whole-heartily agreed that he was a complete moron and git, Lily did find James physically attractive. Being an expert on good looking young men, Lily would openly admit that James did look gorgeous. She would admit this to anyone, aside James of course.

"Stop putting on this act right now! You are such an arrogant toad. You only say that you didn't get any sleep in order to make me think that we have something greatly in common! You drive me crazy, you moron! Just leave me alone!" Any previous good feelings toward him were buried even further with her continuing outbursts.

James's smile had been wiped clean off of his face by her statements. There was a dejected look in his eyes when he looked at Lily. She began to feel guilty about her outburst, but she hastily pushed those feelings aside. For James, he was beginning to lose hope of ever having the girl he loved within his arms. He longed to hold Lily, however, this may never be. James feared this very much.

With this new expression in his eyes, James turned to leave. Lily opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Giving up on apologizing, Lily shut her mouth quickly. James opened up the door and gave a desperate and said sigh.

"You're wrong about me Lily." He said with a strained tone to his voice. Heaving another sigh, he left a speechless Lily. Feeling horrible about what she had done, she flopped back down on her bed and gave a terrible groan of frustration.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that. I post again soon. 

Sasa


	2. Suspicions Arise

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates. Been so busy.**

**To those who have read these chapters before, I would reread them because I had to rewrite all of them basically, so I would reread them, because otherwise, you will be confused.**

**So here we are...chapter two..again**

**Sarah**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.**

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Chapter Two: Suspicions Arise

James searched for Sirius all over the house and had yet to find him. Sirius was not in his room or anywhere else in the Potter household. James really needed to talk to his best friend. The aching in his heart would not stop. The words of Lily Evans echoed in his ears.

"_You are such an arrogant toad."_

James had to admit to himself that he did acquire a pompous attitude around her. He did not understand why he did not act himself in the company of Lily. The sight of Lily brought out these aspects. It was her fiery attitude that caused him to want to impress her. It generally did not work out that way though. Instead, it would backfire into a childish attempt that brought about more contempt from Lily's side. The more he thought about it, the more poignant his emotions came to be.

Consumed by the black hole of his thoughts, James neglected to pay attention to where he was going. He bumped into something and came back to his senses. He looked down to notice a disgruntled Renee on the floor before him. She was rubbing her back from the rough landing she had from falling.

"Sorry about that Ren," James said while offering his hand out to help her.

"It's no big deal," she said, taking it. James pulled her up to her feet. Her balance was still a little shaky, but she seemed to be able to handle herself. She began to brush the age-old dust off her new periwinkle dress. While continuing to dust off, she asked, "Have you seen Rini?"

"No I haven't. She's missing too?" James replied.

"What do you mean 'too'?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She did not seem to know about Sirius's strange disappearance.

"I can't seem to find Sirius either. I've looked for him everywhere in the house."

"That's odd…" Renee said, her brow frowning.

"I haven't checked the garden or the yard yet." James said. He walked toward the stairs. "With any luck, I'll find at least one of them."

He started down the stairs pondering. It was very odd that both Sirius and Rini were missing. He understood how Sirius could be missing, but not Rini. James knew his sister well enough to know that she would not just run off without telling anyone.

James reached the bottom landing and turned to go into the kitchen. He had a feeling that Sirius and Rini were up to something. He also had the feeling that it had to do with him.

He went outside through the sliding glass door in the kitchen. James took a deep breath of fresh air. The sky was a lovely blue hue and there was not a cloud in the sky. The sun was bright and warm; it was very welcoming sitting there in the sky.

James walked into the garden, admiring the different flowers and plants as he passed them. The sweet-smelling aroma of the garden surrounded him as he took a deep breath. He had always loved the garden. It was his favorite part of the whole house and grounds. James closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. He heard wings of a sparrow beat together. He heard a bee buzzing by him as a slight breeze blew by, rustling the trees.

Next, he heard voices coming from further inside the garden, not too far from him. The voices sounded very familiar and he knew who the belonged to. He walked closer towards the voices. He could her them, whispering fast and he could also hear laughing. He hid behind a large hedge and peered over.

James saw Sirius and Rini sitting on the ground in front of the bed of white and tiger lilies. They were both looking over a paper and they laughed at certain moments. James could hear bits and pieces of what they were saying.

"Okay…then we…" came Sirius's voice through the whispers and giggles.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Rini who obviously was having her doubts about a plan of some sort.

"Positive." Sirius whispered, smirking.

"Dating seems a bit complicated," stated Rini.

"Haven't you ever been on a date?" Sirius asked looking at her.

"No…"

"I don't see why you wouldn't I mean you're not bad looking and you're an excellent witch. You're also a great friend." Sirius said, looking away to hide the slight pink color in his cheeks. "Well I'm sure he'd let someone date you."

"Yeah right, Sirius. If he let someone date me, it would probably only be either you or Remus because he trusts you two."

"What about Peter?"

"Uh…well I don't think I would date Peter anyway…he's not really my type…"

"So what is your type?" asked Sirius, his heart pounding.

"Well…" Rini said, leaning in a bit closer to Sirius.

James stood up and cleared his throat. Sirius and Rini both jumped up and turned around to see James standing in front of them, with an odd expression on his face.

Sirius and Rini looked at each other and then at James, who was looking a bit aggravated.

"James…w-what are you doing here?" Rini asked nervously.

"Looking for you two. What have you been up too?"

"Nothing," they both said in unison.

"Suuure…" James said, raising an eyebrow. "Renee is looking for you Rini. I suggest that you find her."

"Alright…I have to go talk to Lily about something anyway." She started to walk away, but then she suddenly turned around. She looked at Sirius and smiled for a brief moment and then turned back around and strolled off. Sirius and James watched her as she left.

Once she was out of sight, James turned to face Sirius. "I think she fancies you mate," he said with all out seriousness.

"You think?"

"Yeah…Well I know that you fancy her." James said with a small grin.

"What?!" Sirius's face was turning slightly pink. "I do not!"

"Oh yes you do. 'I don't see why you wouldn't I mean you're not bad looking and you're an excellent witch. You're also a great friend.'" James stopped mimicking Sirius and smiled at him. He was turning even redder.

"I was just being polite…" Sirius trailed off.

"You fancy my sister," James interjected. "Admit it! You'd like to snog her, wouldn't you?"

"Erm…" said Sirius. His face was a brilliant shade of magenta at this point.

"Well you can date her if you want." James said with a small grin. "You have my blessing."

"Really?" said Sirius. He coughed to cover the glee in his voice. "I don't fancy her. Let's go find Remus. Then we can play Quidditch out in the yard."

"Sure mate, sure."

James and Sirius went back into the house, abandoning the garden and its sweet-smelling aromas. They had found Remus not too long after they went inside. He was in the study reading _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7_. Occasionally he wrote down something on a piece of parchment with his quill.

"Oi Moony!" Sirius said.

Remus whipped his head around to observe his two closest friends.

"What are you doing?" Sirius inquired.

"Studying." Remus said flatly.

"Studying? For what?" asked Sirius with a thunder-struck look upon his face.

"We have our N.E.W.T.s this year, you know."

"But we have plenty of time for that!" exclaimed Sirius. "Let's go outside and play some Quidditch."

"Fine," Remus said, giving in. "What's up with you anyway?"

"He fancies Rini," James chimed in.

"You're kidding me!"

"I do not!" Sirius insisted.

"I can tell that you do Sirius. So don't deny it." James said, smiling. "Give it up Sirius; we know. You can stop trying to hide it."

"Can we just go and play Quidditch?" whined Sirius. He was getting impatient in addition to being annoyed by James's constant teasing.

"All right! All right! Quit your whining already, Padfoot." Remus said finally. The three of them walked out of the study and rushed upstairs to get their brooms.

The three all grabbed their brooms and headed downstairs together. They raced down the stairs so they could go play Quidditch sooner. They reached the bottom landing and ran into the three girls.

Lily was looking awake by now. She had her hair up and she was fully dressed. She had a pink top and a frilly white skirt that went down to her knees. She saw James and her cheeks gained a little more color.

Rini and Renee were chatting away happily. Rini spotted Sirius and gave him a sweet smile. He flicked his eyes on her gaze for a brief moment and his face reddened slightly. James just merely grinned at Sirius and chuckled to himself.

Remus saw Renee who was smiling up at him. He could feel the heat rising on his skin, knowing that he was turning a deep shade of magenta. Renee looked at them and noticed their brooms.

"Where are you guys going?" she asked.

"Outside in the yard." James replied.

"We're going to go play Quidditch!" added Sirius.

"Why…?" asked Lily.

"It's fun! It's the best sport ever!!" said Sirius excitedly.

Lily was the first to comment. "Okay…who gave Black the sugar?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Renee said. He doesn't need any…"

"That's for sure," agreed Rini. She giggled at Sirius's blank expression.

"What are you girls talking about?" he asked slowly.

"Oh never mind," Renee said. The three girls walked off and headed toward the library.

Lily, Rini, and Renee walked into the library minutes later. Renee closed the door behind them and they all sat on the couch in the middle of the room. Rini and Renee gave Lily a look of concern as she fiddled with her bracelet. She looked around nervously and the finally sighed.

Rini opened her mouth to say something, but then decided against it. The girls just sat there in silence trying to think of what to say. After a while, Renee took out a book and started to read because no one was talking. It was a while until someone finally said something.

"So Lily…what did you want to tell us?" asked Rini.

Lily looked up at her friends with confusion plaguing her eyes. An internal battle was raging on within her. She tried to rationalize her feelings for James as usual. The young witch was so stubborn that she never would listen to her heart, even if it ached horribly. She felt her chest tighten when she thought of him more. In her heart, she knew that her wish at that moment was to be with James. Although her heart was longing for him, she hastily pushed her feelings aside and decided that his kind yet fake words were the cause of her swooning. She still hated him in her mind, yet this would not be the case in her heart.

"Lily?" Renee asked, concerning dripping in her voice.

"Oh right," Lily said. She was going to have to lie to them.

"Well?" Rini asked, raising her eyebrow.

"It's not really anything. I'm just having mixed feelings about being Head Girl. I mean I'm excited and all, but it's going to be difficult with all of our N.E.W.T classes and exams. I'm not sure if I can handle it."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine." Renee reassured her.

"Yeah and don't forget my brother will be there with you. He'll help."

"Oh that's right. I forgot that he's been made Head Boy." Lily grumbled.

"Oh look Renee. She's upset because now she'll have to become closer to him. Then, she'll realize her feelings and they get married and live happily ever after."

Lily quickly stood up and shot Rini a look of great annoyance. "Serena, stop acting like a little kid and treating me like that. It's extremely irritating. This is bugging me because he is a pompous idiot who I doubt will do his job efficiently."

"Oh come off it Lils." Rini smiled. "You love him. Don't deny it."

"I do not!" she shouted. "I never have and I never will. So just drop it!"

Lily quickly left the room in a fury. She made the point of slamming the door on her way out. Rini and Renee just looked blankly at each other. It was a few moments before Renee finally spoke.

"That went well."

"Um yeah…" Rini trailed off. "She needs to stop denying things."

"Maybe she doesn't like him. Have you ever considered the possibility? Maybe she's not in denial. I don't understand why you feel the need to tease her like that."

"Look," Rini started. "I know that she has to love him…She just needs a little push to realize this. I have a plan."

"Before you tell me, I want no part of this. So don't even bother telling me."

"Fine I won't. I guess it will just be kept between me and Sirius then."

Renee raised an eyebrow. "You and Sirius?"

"Yes me and Sirius," Rini said indignantly. "We have a plan…not to mention he's pretty hot."

"You like Sirius?" Renee asked her eyes wide.

"I never said that." Rini said in response. "I just merely stated that he's hot."

"Uh sure." Renee gave her a skeptical look as if she did not believe her. "Come on. Let's go see if Lily's cooled off yet"

Renee and Rini got off their resting places swiftly and silently. Renee opened the door, and they left the room. Before they were able to go upstairs, the three boys coming in interrupted them. James, Sirius, and Remus looked disgruntled and completely drenched from head to toe.

"What happened?" Renee asked eying them carefully.

"It started to rain cats and dogs," said Sirius, "and I was just about to win too."

"You were not," argued James. "You're just trying to impress the girls here."

"So?" Sirius gave his usual sly grin.

Rini tried to suppress a giggle, but failed miserably. Renee gave her a knowing look, and she just scowled at her. Renee chuckled and went upstairs to find Lily. Rini, however, did not follow. Instead, she hung back to talk to Sirius, but he was busy arguing about who won with James.

"Oh let's just go dry off," Remus interrupted them.

Sirius glanced at Rini in the corner of his eye. Her silent beauty captivated his attention. He thought that it might be a good idea to discuss their plans of getting James and Lily together. He decided to let James and Remus go on ahead.

"You two go on," Sirius said to them. "I need some business that needs some attention."

James gave him a knowing look and raised an eyebrow at his best friend. Sirius just looked away with a twinge of pink in his cheeks. James smiled at him and went closer to his ear to whisper, "I already gave you permission…so just ask her out already."

"I don't know what you are talking about," said Sirius. "It's strictly business."

"Fine," said James. "I just hope you do it before it's too late." He followed Remus out of the room.

Sirius felt a slight twinge of annoyance, but he quickly put it aside as he turned around to face Rini. Her elegant beauty took Sirius's breath away. Her chestnut brown hair was in a messy bun and her soft locks fell right above her eyes, accenting her heart-shaped face. Her ivory skin shined in the sunlight and her sapphire eyes sparkled and danced with playful liveliness. Sirius was mesmerized by her presence and did not come to reality until she spoke.

"Sirius?"

"Hmm?" He was only half-paying attention.

"I was asking if this whole plan was going to work."

"Of course it will. For the movie tonight, we'll make sure that they have to sit together. It's fool proof."

"I don't know…" Rini said, having her doubts. "It might not."

"Well if it doesn't, we'll have fun together doing it," Sirius said moving a bit closer to Rini, taking in her exotic smell of lavender and rose. Sirius felt an uncontrollable attraction to the girl before him as their faces became inches apart.

"Yes?" She asked him, also whispering.

Their faces were merely inches apart as Rini looked up at him. The heat of passion was intense, dying to escape them for their bodies were nearly touching. Sirius longed to taste her soft and lush lips; it was taking all his strength to restrain himself.

Rini's heart started pounding in the change of pace. She had always thought of him as a friend, but perhaps there was something more between them than she realized. It was at that moment that her true feelings for Sirius became clear. Rini had to admit to herself that she fancied him. This new revelation would have a lasting effect on her. In the heat of passion, Rini moved up to kiss Sirius. However, she was interrupted by a voice.

"Rini what are you doing?"

Rini stopped abruptly and turned her head to see Lily and Renee watching her from the middle of the stairs. The complexion of her face went from a shade of slight pink to a crimson red. She felt the heat of her face and panicked. After a quick good-bye to Sirius, she rushed out of the hallway and went into the living room.

After her quick escape, Rini came into the living room in a rush. She plopped herself on the floor in front of their television. She put her face in her hands and replayed the previous events in her mind. She had come so close to kissing him. Her heart still pounded with intensity, and she did not know what to do. He had the same sense of attraction as well when she thought it over. Could he possibly like her? Well it is possible. Rini only knew that she felt something there and it was quite possible that he felt something there as well.

A few moments after Rini began to sit there, Renee and Lily waltzed in, smiling stupidly at Rini. Rini raised an eyebrow at them as they sat on the couch. Their smiles vanished as they interrogated her.

"Rini, what are you doing on the floor?" Lily asked.

"I want to sit on the floor…Do you have a problem with it?" Rini raised her eyebrow.

"No," said Renee. "You just normally sit up here. You know—with us."

"Yeah…" Lily said with suspicion in her voice. "What are you up to?"

"Now what makes you think I'm up to something?" Rini said in a mock voice. "I can't believe you don't trust me!"

"Don't play dumb Serena," Lily started. "We saw you with Sirius. You two are up to something."

"Either that or they're going to be having a good old snogging session." Renee added.

Rini turned quickly to face them. Her eyes widened and her face turned colors faster than a traffic light. Panic set in as she answered her friends' smiling faces.

"What?"

"We saw you with Sirius. It was pretty obvious that you were about to kiss him."

"Aw does icky wittle Rini have a crush on Sirius," Lily teased.

Rini's blush deepened. "Oh shut up!"

"How do you like it now?" Lily said, looking stern at Rini.

"All right. I see you point," Rini said giving in. "I'll stop teasing you about James."

"Thank you." Lily had a 'too right you will' attitude about her.

It was at that moment that Sirius came in. His hair was still a little wet, making his face more attractive than usual. He was wearing a black tee shirt that hugged his well-built body. In addition, Sirius was wearing jeans that flattered his body. Rini took one look at him and felt the temperature of her face rise. She knew that there was an attraction to him. She wondered if she would be able to control this attraction. Sirius flashed a smile at her and her heart fluttered. He was very charming and had succeeded in winning her over.

"Never fear! Sirius is here!" Sirius shouted as he came further into the room. Remus who was close behind shook his head while rolling his eyes at him. "Ladies, calm down. There's enough of me to go around."

"Black I don't want any of you," Lily said in disgust. "Where's James anyway?"

"Why do you care?" Sirius implored.

"And since when do you can him James?" asked Remus.

"First of all I was wondering where he was because I know you three better by now. I don't want any pranks pulled on me now."

"Oh c'mon…" Sirius said with a mischievous grin. "You really think that we would prank you?"

"Yes!" said Lily indignantly.

"Relax Lily," Remus said. He laughed for a brief moment at her alarmed and wary expression. "We aren't planning on pranking you tonight."

Lily's expression softened slightly. Remus sat down in the armchair and gave her an assuring smile. She then observed Sirius sitting down on the floor next to Rini. An expression of curiosity erupted on her face. Lily still had a feeling that those two were up to something. It made her a bit uneasy, and she was wary of what they could possibly be planning. Her thoughts were interrupted by James's entrance into the room.

James walked in looking very handsome in Lily's opinion. He was carrying a big bowl of popcorn and some bottles of butterbeer. His eyes and Lily's met for a slight moment, and he smiled affectionately at her. She felt her cheeks flush as she looked away. Renee was grinning at her.

James's face fell though when he observed the only seat available. The only seat that was not taken was the one on the couch…right next to Lily. He frowned slightly, his heart thumping madly. Lily saw this too and her eyes widened.

Sirius was the one who broke the tension. "Well I guess that you're stuck sitting next to Lily Flower over here, Prongs."

Lily snapped her gaze from James abruptly to Sirius. "What did you call me?"

"Lily Flower…Hey James, isn't that what you call her in that journal of yours?"

Lily turned to look at James once again. He stammered something, but it was too soft and inaudible to be understood. He quickly looked down at his feet to avoid looking at Lily's face. His face was going redder and redder by the second. Lily decided that she better just get this all over as quickly as possible. She was going to kill Rini for this later on.

"It's fine." Lily muttered.

James gave her a reproachful look that said, 'Are you sure?' Lily chose to ignore him and turned her head. James took that as a sign that she was reluctant, yet part of her wanted to give him a chance. He sat down next to her slowly and carefully while keeping his gaze locked on her. He offered her a butterbeer, which she took reluctantly while muttering her thanks. It was quite obvious that she was uncomfortable next to James. James wished that things could be different. She was so beautiful, and he only wanted to show how much he loved her.

Sirius saw James and Lily, but he turned his attention to Rini. She was trying her best to watch the movie and avoid his eyes. He felt enjoyment watching her. A blush crept onto her face when she felt his gaze. Sirius noticed that something was troubling Rini. She did not hold her usual warmth within his reach. Sirius felt concern for her and her well-being. There was something troubling her and he was determined to find out what it was.

"Rini," he said, his gaze still locked on her.

"Y-Yes?" His eyes still watched the movie.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"There-there's nothing wrong."

"Rini," he said softly. He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face to look at him. Her face was flushed. Her eyes held much uncertainty. He knew that sudden change in her attitude was the result of him getting too close. "You can't lie to me. Tell me."

"Well I…"

"Look about earlier," He said moving closer to her. "I—" But he was cut off by the power going out.


End file.
